NHL Player News

Benoit (upper body) won't play versus the Golden Knights on Thursday.

Benoit was listed as out of the lineup, but the injury was only revealed just before puck drop. The 27-year-old defenseman hasn't missed a game due to an injury yet this season, though he has been out for five contests (three scratches, one personal, one illness). Philippe Myers will draw in on the third pairing Thursday to cover Benoit's absence.

Hill is set to start at home against Toronto on Thursday, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Hill, who had been dealing with a lower-body injury, was activated off injured reserve Thursday and will be playing in his first game since Oct. 20. He has a 1-0-2 record, 2.73 GAA and .888 save percentage in five appearances this season. Hill's getting a difficult adversary right away. Toronto ranks sixth in goals per game with 3.33, and the Maple Leafs are 8-1-2 over their past 11 games.

Peeke (lower body) won't return to Thursday's game versus the Kraken.

Peeke must have been injured in the first period, as he didn't come out for the second. If the blueliner misses time, Vladislav Kolyachonok would likely take over his spot on the third pairing. The Bruins' next game is Saturday in Chicago.

Parekh (upper body) will miss Thursday's game against Chicago, per the NHL media site.

Parekh is believed to have sustained the injury while playing for Team Canada during the World Junior Championship. He has an assist in 11 outings with Calgary in 2025-26. He also contributed five goals and 13 points in seven appearances with Canada during the tournament. His next opportunity to return is Saturday versus the Islanders.

Lafferty (illness) won't play Thursday versus the Flames, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Lafferty's illness was revealed Wednesday, and he will miss a game. The 30-year-old has been far from a lock to be in the lineup even when healthy, so it's not yet clear when he might make his next appearance.

Cooley is expected to start on the road against Chicago on Thursday, per Tracey Myers of NHL.com.

Cooley has a 5-4-2 record, 2.29 GAA and .918 save percentage in 14 outings in 2025-26. He stopped 27 of 28 shots en route to a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh in his last start Saturday. Chicago ranks 24th in goals per game with 2.78, and the Blackhawks have gone 1-2-0 while managing just five goals across their past three games.

Nesterenko was sent down to AHL San Diego on Thursday.

Nesterenko cleared waivers Jan. 7, but he spent another week on the NHL roster afterwards. His move to the AHL suggests at least one of Leo Carlsson (lower body), Troy Terry (upper body) or Cutter Gauthier (illness) should be good to go Friday versus the Kings. Nesterenko has nine points, 31 shots on net and 53 hits over 29 outings this season.

Hellebuyck is expected to start on the road against Minnesota on Thursday, per Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press.

Hellebuyck has won his past two starts, but he's also allowed at least three goals in each of his last five appearances. The 32-year-old netminder has an 11-12-4 record, 2.75 GAA and .899 save percentage in 27 outings, which is pretty disappointing by his standards. He's 1-0-1 with a 3.48 GAA and an .870 save percentage in two starts against Minnesota in 2025-26.

Daccord will start on the road versus the Bruins on Thursday, Mike Benton of the Kraken Audio Network reports.

Daccord will get the nod in a return to his hometown, which is likely why the Kraken flipped their goalie rotation during this back-to-back set. The netminder has won four of his last six outings with a .917 save percentage in that span. The Bruins have won five of their last six games, scoring a total of 25 goals in that span, but their lone loss in that stretch came in Seattle on Jan. 6.

Ristolainen (upper body) will remain out Thursday versus Pittsburgh, per Flyers Director of Broadcasting Brian Smith.

Ristolainen also missed Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Buffalo. He has three assists in 13 outings in 2025-26. Noah Juulsen is projected to stay in the lineup, but Juulsen might be a healthy scratch once Ristolainen is ready to play.